Developing a COVID-19 Vaccine: Cobra Biologics Part of ChAdOx1 Consortium

Cobra Biologics (Cobra), an international CDMO for biologics and pharmaceuticals, has announced it is working as part of a consortium led by the Jenner Institute, Oxford University to rapidly develop, scale-up and produce the potential adenoviral vaccine candidate, ChAdOx1 nCov-19 (ChAdOx1), for fast-tracked clinical trials for COVID-19. ChAdOx1, is one of five frontrunner vaccines in development around the world, and expected to be the UK’s first COVID-19 vaccine. The ChAdOx1 consortium includes the University of Oxford Jenner Institute, University of Oxford Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility, the Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC), Advent Srl, Pall Life Sciences, Cobra Biologics and Halix BV.

The ChAdOx1 consortium is currently recruiting individuals from a range of ages in the UK to trial the vaccine’s efficacy, in April 2020 – a crucial step in the vaccine’s development. Cobra is actively planning for a fast set-up phase to facilitate the efficient production of a GMP working cell bank and then 200L GMP viral vaccine. The consortium partners expect to develop and manufacture the vaccine candidate in multiple batches, to support a 1million dose scale batch size, by summer 2020.

Developed at the Jenner Institute, ChAdOx1 is one of the most promising vaccine technologies for COVID-19 as it can generate a strong immune response from one dose. The vaccine candidate allows it to be given safely to vulnerable members of the public, including children, the elderly and those with a pre-existing condition, such as diabetes.

Peter Coleman, Chief Executive at Cobra Biologics, said: “The organizations within the consortium led by the Jenner Institute are experts from across industry and academia, with the experience, capability and conviction to deliver a successful outcome. Cobra is privileged to have been invited to participate and contribute to the fight against COVID-19, as this virus continues to impact the globe exponentially.”

Analytik reports how the Quadram Institute has invested in a ZetaView Nanoparticle Tracking Analyser to help them develop a new approach for vaccine delivery based on engineering the natural ability of resident gut bacteria to generate nanoparticle sized Outer Membrane Vesicles.